Langevin's Train-the-Trainer Blog

How to Market Your Training Internally

I’m sure you have heard the phrase, “Build it and they will come.” Well, it usually doesn’t apply to training. Just because the training department has designed a course doesn’t mean that employees will knock down the door to attend it. A marketing plan is needed to effectively promote your training within your own organization. Here are the five Ps of marketing your training within your own organization:1. Product

The training product must be clearly defined, and it must satisfy a unique need in your organization. A misconception is that the business of training is to produce workshops and seminars, when in fact our real product is to offer solutions to performance problems.

2. People

The purpose of marketing your training is to get the internal customer to want what you have to offer. Know who your customers are, know what will satisfy them, and let them know how you are matching your training solutions to their needs.

3. Promotion

Use a variety of promotional techniques to market your training internally. Leverage technology by using websites, blogs, and social media to promote your training product. Combine the use of personal promotional techniques (where individuals are contacted directly) and impersonal promotional techniques (where large numbers of people can be reached quickly).

4. Partnership

Create an image and develop a reputation for your training department. Use image and reputation to help develop partnerships. Maintain customer relationships by continuously building rapport before, during, and after courses. This strategy, combined with effective communication, will help create effective partnerships with internal customers.

5. Planning

It is critical to have a marketing plan. Ensure the plan contains the details of the previous four Ps. Indicate in the plan the type of training course, who will be targeted, which promotional techniques will be used, the frequency and the duration of the marketing campaign.

By using the five Ps to market your training within your organization, you will increase the likelihood of getting the right people into the right course. By consistently meeting the needs of internal customers you will continue to build the reputation of the training department within your organization.

To learn more on how to package training in the context of organizational needs, and promote the value of both your product and your department, Langevin’s Marketing Your Training Internally workshop is a great place to start!

Steve has been a course leader with Langevin since 2000. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education and dreamed of being a pro soccer player. Steve translated his love of soccer and physical performance to the corporate sector and became a trainer. He’s had the pleasure of training within the government, large corporations, and as an independent consultant. Outside of training, Steve’s two biggest passions are his family and guitars, which he collects and plays!